Shirking Responsibility

July 20, 2026

On July 17, an Iranian attack on a US base in Jordan killed two soldiers, and left one missing, 17 military personnel have been killed in the Iran War and the Pentagon says 427 have been wounded, Iran is inflicting damage, It appears to have weaponry and is attempting to make the costs to the US regional coalition greater than the security benefits, The Pentagon is not providing information about the progress of the Iran War, The US has struck bridges and energy infrastructure in Iran, The Houthis in Yemen are imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, If the Bab el-Mandeb strait is closed, the global oil supply will be further cut, and crude oil supplies in the US are at the lowest levels in 45 years, Trump’s speech was not aired live on CNN, ABC, or NBC, perhaps a sign of falling popularity, The administration is renewing aggressive immigration policies, arrests in July hit a record high, Democratic senators have demanded investigations of the shooting deaths in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, Trump has announced new tariffs on certain products from Canada, which would upend the economy if they take effect.

Watch today's recording here

Get full, free access to Letters from an American here

You can also find me:

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe ()